ZOO by Russ
ZOO by Russ
My Thoughts: I have to say I enjoyed this album. I liked that there were multiple themes throughout the album, and Russ also had some stylistic differences, with some of his songs having more of an R&B style. Something I enjoyed was that the songs on the album contained emotion, but it wasn’t like Russ was yelling at me through his songs. The following is the tracklist and my thoughts on the individual songs of this album. Enjoy!
Tracks:
“The Flute Song”: Russ opens the album up with “The Flute Song” and sings,
I do whatever I want, whenever I want
I love it (woo, woo)
People keep talkin', I just keep winning
I'm just like "Fuck it"
This starts the album off with a bang because Russ has a large amount of confidence, or what some may see as cockiness, in his lyrics. In addition to that, the flute carried out through the entire song seemed essential, as I have heard many different artists use flutes as the central theme of their songs, but I think that the lyrics made the song much better and more enjoyable.
“Outlaw”: “Outlaw” feels very similar to “The Flute Song,” where Russ sings about his confidence and why he is somehow “elite” in the world. However, although this song has many similarities to it, it also discusses things like how Russ’s success has helped his parents and made it accessible for him and his parents to see and buy the nice things in life,
Yeah, just copped a mansion and my parents a crib
“Kill Them All”: This song is the last of the big F-you songs on the album. I didn’t really like this song, just since it is so similar to the first two songs, but the general continuation of the F-you theme for the first three songs is pretty interesting. The general theme of the lyrics to the first three songs is Russ telling listeners that if you ever doubted him, then F-you because he’s successful and gets what he wants.
“Missin You Crazy”: Russ transitions to a softer R&B vibe after his big three F-you songs. This song is a great chill edition to the album. The song’s central theme is losing love, and Russ described it as not the loss of a girlfriend but his own loving loss. The song is centered on Russ, like most of the album, but has a much different tone, and it is one of my favorites on the album.
“Voicemail”: “Voicemail” is another one of my favorites from the album. A specific line stood out to me,
I'm listening to "Say Goodbye to Hollywood" and "Runaway"
I guess be careful what you wish for, right?
which references songs by Eminem and J. Cole. where both artists rap about leaving the spotlight and focusing more on their families, etc. This song is incredibly personal, making it even more attractive to listeners. The song flows well, and overall it is one of my favorite songs on the album.
“Parkstone Drive”: “Parkstone Drive” is another personal song from Russ. The general theme is Russ’s family struggles, all in all, but especially with his dad. Instead of following the previous vibe of “I’m better than everyone else,” Russ is raw and real with his listeners in this song, which is definitely appreciated. The song is relatively chill once again and really sits with listeners post-hearing the song.
“Begging You”: This song is a bit strange at the beginning with a weird voiceover of Russ’s singing, a few octaves higher. Nonetheless, I think this is another good song in the album that is sad and real, but also hopeful, strangely enough. The chorus,
Take all my pain away
Don't give it back, I'm beggin' you
Take all my pain away
is interesting as it shows Russ on a more personal level once again. I thought this song was chill and didn’t make me sad, just calm. “Begging You” is definitely another favorite of mine from this album.
“Serious”: Doing a total 180, “Serious” starts with a different beat and vibe and generally feels a bit weird following songs like “Begging You,” “Parkstone Drive,” and “Voicemail.” That being said, the song is well written, and the beat works well with the lyrics. In a review of the album, Isaiah Opatz says,
This song may best be heard while listening to a mix, rather than the experience an album delivers”
and I agree entirely. The song generally feels out of place in the album, but I think it still works with Russ’s general sound.
“Keep My Wits”: I love the bass in this song, and it reminds me of music from Russ’s first album. The song is catchy and generally makes you want to bob your head while listening. I think it might be a bit weird right after “Serious” in terms of the tracklist, but overall it adds variety to the album and is generally a fun song to listen to. It’s chill but not dull, fun but not crazy.
“Our Time”: I like this song, but it honestly feels like Russ’s vocals are muted because of how long the instruments in the song are. The lyrics are great, but especially in the beginning and the chorus of the song, it is hard to hear the lyrics clearly. Moving on, the song's general theme is Russ talking about how the difference in lifestyle with a girl he is seeing means that it “might not be their time.” It adds another personal piece to the album, which is admirable, but I wish the vocals weren’t as muted.
“From a Distance”: I don’t have a ton to say regarding this song. It flows really well and I like the lyrics paired with the instrumental background. That being said, it feels almost like a repeat of a previous song from the album, and I feel like it would have been better to be released as a single.
“Last Forever (feat. Rick Ross and Snoop Dogg)”: The pairing of the three artists is random, but surprisingly it flows well, and all three artists work well off each other. This song talks a lot about how the rest of Russ’s career will go and feels unique solely due to the featured artists. I liked this song because it was chill and a fun song to listen to, and the addition of Rick Ross and Snoop Dogg was also definitely a pro.
“Keep It Pushin (feat. Mahalia)”: I loved this song. Moving back to the slow R&B that he had earlier in the album, Russ makes an excellent song with Mahalia. The two artists' vocals work well off each other and make a chill, slow song that still makes an impact. I think this song was definitely my favorite from the album, mainly due to the pairing of Russ and Mahalia’s vocals, and the song overall felt unique and fun to listen to.
“F**k That”: Russ finishes out with a bang for the final song of the album. Gone is the chill R&B from the previous song, “Keep It Pushin,” and here is the Russ we all know from his last album. This song is similar to the first three F-you songs of the album but still feels unique. The chorus,
They want me to shut the fuck up, fuck that
They want my talent, my nuts tucked, fuck that
They're tryna get me to hate me, fuck that
'Cause y'all can't ever ever play me, fuck that
Stop playin' with me, playin' with me
Somebody gon' end up hurt
Stop playin' with me, playin' with me
I promise I see every word
is catchy and you can’t help but start forgetting some of the downfalls of the album. I liked this song, and the placement on the tracklist is perfect. Overall, I really liked this album, thank you to the person who recommended this playlist to me! I really enjoyed reviewing it!
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